Social Injustice versus Criminal Justice

A Philosophical Study of Inequality and Punishment
1. Auflage 2026
ISBN: 978-1-041-39325-2
Verlag: Taylor & Francis Ltd

Buch, Englisch, 274 Seiten, Format (B × H): 156 mm x 234 mm

Reihe: New Advances in Crime and Social Harm

This book explores why social inequality undermines the justice of our penal systems. It takes as its starting point the fact that socially deprived persons are more likely than others to be targeted by the criminal justice system. Empirical research on crime and punishment has long established that a disproportionately large share of those who receive state punishment, especially incarceration, is recruited among the poor, the socially marginalized, racial minorities, and victims of adverse childhood experiences such as abuse and neglect. Given this well-established empirical connection between social deprivation and punishment, the study asks why this connection matters. Drawing on legal philosophy, criminology, criminal law theory and political theory, it examines the normative relevance of social injustice for criminal justice. As the issue of criminal justice reform is currently high on the political agenda in many countries, the book contributes to ongoing political debates by considering how to operationalize its philosophical conclusions. The resulting policy recommendations are grounded in a thorough investigation into the limits of using criminal justice to pursue social justice. With results that are both theoretically groundbreaking and practically relevant, the work will be a valuable resource for academics, researchers and policy-makers working in the areas of Criminal Justice.

Zielgruppe

Academic and Postgraduate

Autoren/Hrsg.

Chelsom Vogt, David

Fachgebiete

• Rechtswissenschaften Recht, Rechtswissenschaft Allgemein
• Sozialwissenschaften Soziologie | Soziale Arbeit Spezielle Soziologie Kriminalsoziologie
• Rechtswissenschaften Strafrecht Kriminologie, Strafverfolgung
• Geisteswissenschaften Philosophie Sozialphilosophie, Politische Philosophie

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Preface; 1. Introduction; 2. Criminal justice and social justice; 3. Unjust law: Why social injustice increases one’s likelihood of punishment; 4. Unjust societies: Why social injustice increases one’s likelihood of committing crime; 5. Standing to punish the severely deprived; 6. Severe deprivation as justification; 7. Severe deprivation as excuse; 8. Severe deprivation mitigation; 9. Other criminal justice reforms; 10. Conclusion: Unfree and unequal

Über Autor(innen)

David Chelsom Vogt is Associate Professor of Philosophy at the University of Bergen, Norway.